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News For July, 2010

  • TribBlog: Not Who, But What?

    By Ross Ramsey

    Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst made some new committee assignments last week to cover the resignation of state Sen. Kip Averitt, R-Waco. But the rejiggering created as many questions as it answered: Not about who went where, but about what went where. For instance: What committee will have legislative oversight of electric utility companies? Full Story 

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    Credit: Caleb Bryant Miller

  • TribBlog: In Reversal, SBOE Passes Charter Financing [Updated]

    By Elizabeth Titus

    After getting shot down in committee, SBOE member David Bradley, R-Beaumont, and other members succeeded Friday in pushing through a plan to purchase school buildings and lease them back to charter schools in a split vote, with two Democrats absent. The decision, however, is contingent upon a favorable attorney general's opinion on the legality of the controversial move — which would pull money from the Permanent School Fund. Full Story 

    Cynthia Dunbar and Don McLeroy
    Credit: Jacqueline Mermea

  • TribBlog: A Matter of Jurisdiction [Updated]

    By Morgan Smith

    While delivering their report, members of the subcommittee charged with reviewing the Cameron Todd Willingham case said that though they believe the science used to convict the Corsicana man was flawed, they aren't prepared to say the fire investigator, whose testimony was used to convict him, committed professional misconduct. Full Story 

    John Bradley, left, is the new chair of the Texas Forensic Science Commission. Cameron Todd Willingham, right, was executed for setting a house fire that killed his three daughters.
    Credit: Jacob Villanueva

  • Electric Avenue

    By Kate Galbraith

    Plug-in cars — which are touted as green because they use little if any gasoline and can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by between 49 percent and 75 percent compared with a conventional vehicle — will soon be a viable option in Texas. By the end of this year, Austinites should be able to buy the new electric car from Chevrolet, called the Volt. By next February, hundreds of Leafs, Nissan's plug-in car, will be on the roads around Houston. The new influx, fueled by government subsidies, should more than double the number of plug-in vehicles in the state. Full Story 

    The Volt, a plug-in hybrid car made by General Motors, in front of the Texas Capitol.
    Credit: General Motors

  • Henry Cisneros: The TT Interview

    By Julián Aguilar

    The former San Antonio mayor and HUD Secretary on what Bill White has to do to win the Latino vote, what Rick Perry should say about the Arizona immigration law and how Julián Castro's star can continue to rise. Full Story 

    Henry Cisneros addresses students at UT Austin, July 20, 2010.
    Credit: Julian Aguilar

  • TribBlog: White's D.C. Dollars

    By Forrest Burnson

    Gubernatorial candidate Bill White may have more campaign cash on hand than Republican incumbent Gov. Rick Perry — but where it came from could hurt the former Houston mayor's campaign. That’s because nearly 25 percent of the donations since Feb. 20 — about $1.8 million — came from contributors in Washington, D.C. Full Story 

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  • TribBlog: Storming the Tower

    By Sarah Adler

    A group of environmental advocates is planning a protest on the UT campus tomorrow afternoon to express their displeasure with new tower-shaped plastic bottles. Full Story 

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    Credit: http://www.utexas.edu/news/2010/07/19/h2orange_water/

  • Unchartered Waters

    By Elizabeth Titus

    Lawyers for the State Board of Education advised members Wednesday to proceed cautiously with a proposal to invest $100 million of the Permanent School Fund in facilities that would be leased to charter schools. Full Story 

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    Credit: Jacob Villanueva

  • A Pollution Solution?

    By Bill Dawson

    Texas environmentalists have adopted a pragmatic strategy for winning tougher control of industrial air pollution through the Sunset Advisory Commission's review process: They’ve teamed with a former commissioner of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality to craft recommendations. They’re speaking with a unified voice. And they're pursuing limited changes in existing practices. Full Story 

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